Positive clamping and keying means for light fixtures



Jan. 14, 1964 P. A. JONES 3,117,730

POSITIVE CLAMPING AND KEYING MEANS FOR LIGHT FIXTURES Filed July 26, 1961 III 3 8 IN V EN TOR.

Pass TO/V 4. ON

T =3 g amww 4 7' TURNEYS United States Patent POSITIVE (EAMPFNG AND IQEYING MEAN Fill? LIGHT FETURES reston A. Jones, den Rafael, Calif. (2229 4th St, Berkeley, (Ialiil), assign-or oi one-half to Wallace D.

Runswick, 2y, Calif.

Filed July 26, 1961, Ser. No. 127,963 3 Claims. (Cl. 24tl78) This invention relates to fixtures in general and is particularly directe to means for positively clamping and keying the components or a light fixture together.

It is an object of the present invention to provide positive clamping and keying means for securing opposed socket enclosing globes or shades to a support arm or pipe or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide positive clamping and keying means for securing radially projecting support pipes to the compartment or" a chandelier.

it is still another object of the invention to provide a chandelier or" the variety having a plurality of radial support p pes projecting from a central suspended compartment with pairs of opposed bulb enclosing globes at the end of each pipe, the pipes being secured to the compartment and the globes to the pipes by positive clampand keying means.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision clamping and keying means or" the class described for joining of pipes to other elements of a light fixture with extreme rigidity of connection and without rotation.

A further object of the invention is the provision of clamping and keyin means of the class described which prevents wiggling of fiXtures mounted upon support pipes and wiggling of support pipes relative to the compartment irrespective of widely varied tolerances in dillerent types of pipes.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of wh'ch, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description or" the pi rred forr of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompan. g and forming part of the specification. it is to be understood, however, 1

that variations in the showing by the said drawing nd description may be adopted within the scope or" the invention as set forth in the claims.

F l is a perspective view of a chandelier in which the radiall projecting arms or i es are secured to other elements of the fixture by positive clamping and keying means in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view alon a diametric plane of the chandelier and extending axially of one of the pipes.

FIGURE 3 FlGURE 2.

FIGURE FEGURE 2.

FIGURE Referring now to the drawing, there is shown a chandelier 11 of the variet having a central compartment 12 at the lower end of a vertical suspending arm 13, and a lurality or" fixture support arms or pipes 34 projecting radially from the compa :rnent. The fixtures secured to 3 ends of the arms are in the form of double units 16, each including opposed bulb enclosing globes 17, 13.

it is particularly important to note that the pipes 14 are secured to the compartment 12 and to the double units 16 by positive clamping and keying means in accordance with the present invention. Such means prevents rotation of the pipes relative to the compartment and rotation of the double fixture units about the pipes. The means also facilitates rigid non-rotative connection between the is a ectional view taken at line 3-3 of 4- is a sectional view taken at line 44 of 5 is a sectional view taken at line 55 of 2 elements just described irrespective of varied tolerances which persist in commercial pipe or" difierent manufacturers and with different finishes, e.g., painted, plated, etc.

Broadly, the positive clamping and keying means of the present invention includes mounting member means attachable to other elements of the chandelier such as the compartment 12 or globes i7, 18. Such mounting member means is arranged to define an opening for concentrically receiving an end of the pipe 14 and carries means for defining one or more keys projecting radially into the opening. The keys engage radial apertures 19 through the walls of the pipe.

Qonsidering now the clamping and keying means in greater detail, it will be noted that in the case of the connection of the pipes 14 to the compartment 12, the mounting member means comprises a cylindrical upped mounting member 21 having a re-entrant lange or collar 22 at its open end. Such collar includes a peripheral cylindrical portion 23 radially spaced from the wall of the mountin member and interconnected therewith by an annular rim portion 24- projecting outwardly from its open end. The mounting member is concentrically secured within the compartment 12 and depends from its closeu end, the latter element being also of cylindrical cupped configuration. i iore specifically, the closure wall 26 of the compartment is provided with a central aperture 27, and the closure wall 28 of mounting member 21 is provided with a central aperture 29 in registry with aperture 27. Such apertures receive the lower end of suspending arm d3 which is threaded as indicated at 31 and provided with a collar 32 at the termination of the threads. A not 33 threadably secured to the end of arm 13 facili tates attachment of the compartment and mounting member to the arm.

In keeping with the broad conception of the clamping and keying means of the present invention, the mounting member 21 is provided with circumferentially spaced sets of aligned apertures 34, through respectively the peripheral portion 23 of collar 2-2 and the peripheral wall of the member inwardly spaced therefrom. The sets of pertures 34, 36 are registerable with apertures 37 through the peripheral wall of the compartment for receiving the ends of the pipes 14. The ends of the pipes are inserted through apertures 57 and registering sets of apertures 34, 36 to positions wherein the radial apertures in the pipes are intermediate the peripheral portion 23 of collar 22 and the peripheral wall of member 1L. A plurality of et screws 3% thresdably inserted through the portion of the collar engage the apertures 19 of the respective pipes, thus functioning as a detent and positively clamping and keying the pipes to the mounting member and compartment. It is particularly important to note that the mounting member 21 in conjunction with the compartment provide three points of support to the pipes such that wiggling of the pipes in their connections to the compartment is eliminated. The set screws engaging the pipe apertures, moreover, prevent rotation and translation of the pipes in the compartment and mounting member apertures.

To complete the construction of the central portion of the chandelier, a cover plate 39 is secured within the open end of the compartment in the conventional manner. More specifically, aninwardly flared recessed flange 41 is provided in the open end of the compartment to receive the plate. In addition a depending bracket 42 is secured to the threaded end 31 of suspending arm 13, such bracket having a tapped bore 43 registerable with a central aperture 44 through the plate. A cap bolt 46 inserted through aperture 44 and threadably engaging tapped bore 43 then draws the plate tightly against the flange 41.

Considering now the employment of the novel clamping and keying means of the present invention in the attachy r i 1 i i ment of the double units 16 to the outer ends of pipes 14. it is to be noted that in this case the mounting member means is provided as a pair of opposed tapered cylindrical mounting members 47 respectively engageable with opposite side portions of the pipes. More specifically, the educed diameter base of each of the members 3-7 is provideu with a radially extending groove 48 of semicircular cross section. With a pair of the members in engagement at their bases, the opposed semicircular grooves 43 define an opening for concentrically receiving the end of a pipe 14. Moreover, a detent 49 projects radially inward from the wall defining the groove of each member. When a pair of the members 47 are placed together on opposite sides of a pipe, the pipe being disposed within the grooves 48, the detents 49 engage the radial apertures 19 in the end of the pipe.

As regards the further construction of the members 4''], it should be noted that each of them has a tapered annular recess 51 in their enlarged ends defining a central boss 52 having a bore 53 extending therethrough and terminating in the groove dd. An aperture 54 and tapped bore 56 are provided through the base of each member in the region of recess on opposite sides of the groove 48. The apertures and tapped bores of mating sets of the members are in aligned opposition. Hence screws 57 may be inserted through the aperture 54 of each member to threadably engage the tapped bore 56 of the opposite member (see FIGURE 5). The screws thus secure the set of members together about the end of the pipe 14 with the detents 49 engaging the pipe apertures 19 to provide a positive keying action.

Inasmuch as the tolerances of commercial pipe varies widely between different manufacturers and pipe types, the grooves 43 of a set of members cannot closely engage the end of a pipe in every instance. Hence to insure a rigid non-wiggling connection in every instance irrespective of the differences in pipe tolerances, a set screw 58 is preferably inserted from the recess 51 and through the base of each member to project into the groove 48 adjacent the det nt 49 (see FlGURE 2). The set screws 58 of a set of the mounting members may hence be tightened against a pipe disposed within the opening defined by the opposed grooves 4S to provide a rigid connection despite differences in pipe tolerances.

Attachment of the bulb enclosing globes or shades 17, E3 to the mounting members 47 is accomplished in the conventional manner. Several tapped bores 59 are provided in the enlarged end of each member to receive screws 61 for securing the bulb receiving socket 62 of the fixture thereto. In the case of a metallic shade 17, same is held in place for example by its base end rim 63 being clamped between the socket and mounting member in the attachment or" the former to the latter. Where a glass or plastic globe 18 is utilized, the socket is secured to the mounting member and a resilient collar 64 is threadably engaged upon the socket periphery and tightened against the rim of the globe.

The electrical leads 66 to the sockets 62 of the respective double units are led through the bores 53 of the mounting members 47, the central passages through the pi es 14, the interior of compartment 12, and the central passage of suspension pipe 13 to extend externally from the latter for connection to an electrical circuit.

What is claimed is:

l. A lighting fixture construction comprising a pair of tapered cylindrical mounting members having their smaller diameter base ends in opposed engagement, said base ends having opposed radially extending grooves of semicircular cross section with detents projecting thereinto, a pipe having an end loosely concentrically engaged within said opposed grooves, said pipe end having radial apertures engaged by said detents, threaded fastener means securing said mounting members together, a pair of set screws threadably engaged within said mounting members and projecting into said grooves into contact with said 4 pipe, and a pair of lighting fixtures including bulb sockets and bulb enclosing shades secured to the larger diameter ends of said mounting members.

2. A chandelier construction comprising a cylindrical cupped compartment having circumferentially spaced apertures in its peripheral Wall, a. tubular suspending arm extending coaxially through and secured to the closed end of said compartment, a cylindrical cupped mounting member concentrically secured within said compartment and depending from its closed end, said mounting member having a re-entrant collar at its open end including a peripheral cylindrical portion concentrically interposed between the peripheral wall of the mounting member and the peripheral wall of said compartment and an annular rim portion interconnecting said peripheral portion to the open end of the mounting member, said peripheral portion of said collar and peripheral Wall of said mounting member having sets of aligned apertures therethrough in registry with said compartment apertures, a plurality of pipes respectively inserted within the aligned sets of compartment, collar, and mounting member apertures, said pipes each having a radial aperture adjacent its inner end intermediate said peripheral portion of said collar and peripheral wall of said mounting member and radial apertures adjacent its opposite outer end, a plurality of set screws extending through and threadably engaging said rim portion of said collar and engaging the apertures in said pipes adjacent their inner ends, a cover plate secured within the open end of said compartment, a plurality of pairs of tapered cylindrical fixture mounting members having their base ends in opposed engagement, said base ends having opposed radially extending grooves of semicircular cross section with detents projecting thereinto with the opposed grooves of the pairs of fixture mounting members respectively concentrically engaging said outer ends of said pipes and said detents engaging the pipe apertures adjacent their outer ends, said fixture mounting members having central bores communicating with said grooves, threaded fastener means securing each pair of said fixture mountin members together, set screws threadably engaged within said fixture mounting members and projecting into said grooves into contact with said pipes, and a plurality of pairs of li hting fixtures including bulb sockets and bulb enclosing shades secured to the larger diameter ends of respective fixture mounting members.

3. A chandelier construction comprising a cylindrical cupped compartment having circumferentially spaced apertures in its peripheral wall, suspension means secured to the closed end of said compartment, a cylindrical cupped mounting member concentrically secured within said compartment and depending from its closed end, said mounting member having a re-entrant collar at its open end including a peripheral cylindrical portion concentrically interposed between the peripheral wall of the mounting member and peripheral wall of said compartment and an annular rirn portion interconnecting said peripheral portion to the open end of the mounting member, said peripheral portion of said collar and peripheral wall of said mounting member having sets of aligned apertures therethrough in registry with said compartment apertures, a plurality of pipes respective inserted within the aligned sets of compartment, collar, and mounting member apertures, said pipes each having a first radial aperture disposed intermediate said peripheral portion of said collar and peripheral wall of said mounting member and a second radial aperture adjacent its distal end relative to said mounting member, means defining detents projecting from said rim portion of said collar and engaging said first apertures of said pipes, a plurality of pairs of cylindrical fixture mounting members having their base ends in opposed engagement, said base ends having opposed radially extending grooves with detents projecting thereinto and the opposed grooves of the pairs of fixture mounting members respectively engaging said distal ends of said pipes with said detents projecting into said grooves engaging said second apertures of said pipes, and means securing 671,762 Greenfield Apr. 9, 1901 each pair of said fixture mounting members together. 943,148 Hornbeck Dec. 14, 1909 1,014,897 Neuhoefere et a Jan. 16, 1912 References Citeii in the file of this patent 1,016,317 Benjamin Feb. 6, 1912 UNlTED gTATES PATENTS 5 1,542,575 WY June 9 5 1,645,527 Gordon et a1 Oct. 18, 1927 2581068 Hun "May161882 2,347,313 Dove Apr. 25, 1944 

1. A LIGHTING FIXTURE CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING A PAIR OF TAPERED CYLINDRICAL MOUNTING MEMBERS HAVING THEIR SMALLER DIAMETER BASE ENDS IN OPPOSED ENGAGEMENT, SAID BASE ENDS HAVING OPPOSED RADIALLY EXTENDING GROOVES OF SEMICIRCULAR CROSS SECTION WITH DETENTS PROJECTING THEREINTO, A PIPE HAVING AN END LOOSELY CONCENTRICALLY ENGAGED WITHIN SAID OPPOSED GROOVES, SAID PIPE END HAVING RADIAL APERTURES ENGAGED BY SAID DETENTS, THREADED FASTENER MEANS SECURING SAID MOUNTING MEMBERS TOGETHER, A PAIR OF SET SCREWS THREADABLY ENGAGED WITHIN SAID MOUNTING MEMBERS AND PROJECTING INTO SAID GROOVES INTO CONTACT WITH SAID PIPE, AND A PAIR OF LIGHTING FIXTURES INCLUDING BULB SOCKETS AND BULB ENCLOSING SHADES SECURED TO THE LARGER DIAMETER ENDS OF SAID MOUNTING MEMBERS. 